Second Fianna Fáil TD admits voting in another party member’s name

A second Fianna Fáil TD has admitted voting in another party member’s name in the Dáil.

It comes as Fianna Fáil TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins

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Footage of the Dáil chamber last Thursday shows Mr Dooley appearing to motion his colleague Mr Collins toward his vote button ahead of his absence during votes.

Even though he was not present, Mr Dooley's vote was recorded on six occasions.

Party leader Micheál Martin said it is “not acceptable” that a TD would ask another politician to vote on their behalf.

It has now emerged that fellow Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers voted on behalf of party deputy leader Dara Calleary during the same voting division last week when she inadvertently sat in the wrong seat.

“I sat in Dara Calleary’s seat, which is beside my seat. I pressed the button once in error on the first vote, no one asked me to do this and when I realised, I immediately moved to my own seat.

“The vote was lost by a large number so I did not inform the Teller. It was a genuine mistake and not intended. I have informed the Ceann Comhairle this evening of my error.

“I genuinely believed that this error was insignificant,” she said.